Facebook Reaches Nearly 1 in 2 People with Internet Access Around the World

New data from Facebook's second quarter 2014 results shows just how big the social networking site has grown. As Shift Communications reports, Facebook reaches half of the connected human race.

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New data from Facebook's second quarter 2014 results shows just how big the social networking site has grown. As Shift Communications reports, Facebook reaches half of the connected human race. In other words, 47.8% of all people around the world who have internet access use Facebook.In total, 1.317 billion people used Facebook at least once per month during the second quarter of 2014 with 829 million people using it at least once per day. And Facebook hasn't stopped growing yet. The company reports a quarter-over-quarter growth rate of approximately 3%.All of this usage makes Facebook a content distribution and promotion channel that cannot be ignored. However, recent updates to the Facebook platform have made it more difficult than ever for content publishers to get noticed.Today, promoted posts, posts from global brands with deep pockets, and posts from highly active users are shown more prominently in news feeds than other content. Competing with that clutter is extremely challenging. In fact, it's these recent changes that have some marketers abandoning Facebook or dropping it down in their list of priorities unless they have a budget for Facebook advertising.With that said, Facebook is still important for content publishers because it's where the audience spends time. It still needs to be part of your content marketing strategy. Shift Communications gathered some key statistics about Facebook usage that can help you improve your Facebook marketing:

  • 1.070 billion people (4 out of 5 users) accessed Facebook using a mobile device at least once per month during the second quarter of 2014 (up 17% from the first quarter of 2014).
  • 399 million people accessed Facebook only using a mobile device at least once per month during the second quarter of 2014.
  • 654 million people accessed Facebook at least once per day from a mobile device as well as from a desktop computer during the second quarter of 2014.

The theme of these statistics is obvious---mobile matters. The number of people accessing Facebook using a mobile device will continue to grow. Your content must be mobile-friendly or you'll miss a significant number of opportunities to have your content read, shared, and discussed.Yes, there is a lot of clutter on Facebook and it can be extremely difficult to get your content noticed, but if it's not mobile-friendly, you've lost a large percentage of your potential audience before they have a chance to view your content and determine whether or not it's useful, relevant, and meaningful to them.Image: Coletivo Mambembe licensed CC BY 2.0

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